Dallas Man Charged With Carjacking After Brutal Assault Inside Parking Garage

A Laredo man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury after brutally assaulting a woman in a downtown Dallas parking garage, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. 

David Cadena – who had twice bonded out of Dallas County Jail after being charged by the state with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery – made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon.

“Violent criminals should not be released when they pose a danger to the community. In this instance, a violent defendant was released not once, but twice, after posting minor bonds,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The citizens of Dallas deserve a better system – one that fairly detains individuals who pose significant danger to their victims and to the public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is determined to hold Mr. Cadena accountable for his brutal crime – and to keep him detained pending trial.”

“FBI Dallas’s Violent Crime Task Force is focused on apprehending individuals who routinely commit acts of violence and are a threat to the community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Matthew J. DeSarno. “The defendant brutally attacked the victim in this case. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate violent offenders and protect the communities we serve.”

According to the complaint, Mr. Candea, 25, allegedly savagely assaulted the victim with a fire extinguisher in the parking garage of the Statler Hotel around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.

He then allegedly carjacked her 2015 Toyota Corolla, drove it around the garage, and slammed it into a wall. A Statler security guard observed Mr. Candea behind the wheel of the wrecked vehicle and removed him from the car for his own safety.

Authorities discovered 27-year-old victim, identified in court documents as J.K., unconscious, with severe bruising and swelling to her face and head. She was transported to Baylor Hospital, where she lay in a coma for two days, and medical professionals documented nerve damage to her arms and legs as a result of the beating.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Candea is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez ordered the defendant detained pending trial.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay is prosecuting the case.